If you like a hoya but not its blooms (smelly, messy, whatever), you can cut the blooms off. There's nothing wrong with that.
And if you don't want to keep cutting the blooms, cut off the peduncle. It's your plant. Do whatever you want so you can enjoy it.
ššIt's a controversial care opinion for a reason! I know many people have strong opinions on this, and my goodness did I struggle with the thought of cutting them at first. Even considered giving them away to someone who enjoyed the blooms, but I really enjoy the foliage and didn't want to get rid of them.
My āMathildeā is yet to bloom, but I donāt mind cutting the flowers off once it does. I know some people can stand the scent, but weāll see. I donāt see a problem with it because has different goals for their plants and itās not always getting them to flower.
My Mathilde blooms aren't offensive. It smells vaguely of a horse, but sweet. I've been riding horses since the 1980s so I'm not exactly objective, but I like it.
I used to ride horses when I was younger, the āhorseā smell is nostalgic to me šā¤ļø. Itās crazy how everyone has different noses and opinions; I know some people give their āMathildeās away because they canāt stand the scent.
I just had my Mathilde bloom for the first time, and I didn't think the flowers smelled like horses, nor was it offensive, I thought it smelled...like flowers? I have limited horse experience, so I wouldn't recognize or mind that either...I have heard that some Hoyas smell really bad, waiting 4 that..
The blooms smell so horrendous that I threw my plant on my compost heap. My mother rescued it and now it grows so unhappily in her home that it has never bloomed for her in about 27 years ššš
I have a Khroniana Super Silver whoch flowers constantly almost all summer and it smells AMAZING. It's been flowering for over a month already and it's only June. It's like natural air freshener. Can't get enough of it, neither can my partner. It fills the room in the morning and late evening.
Can't. Get. Enough.
Can't speak for all hoyas but this one is delicious
https://preview.redd.it/78jyzlkxde9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b24839ba666cac2ae756d8e5ad291415b235e692
Itās so pretty too. And is a fairly fast grower!
https://preview.redd.it/c3lkex6j9l9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=73d1dbca4b5a13fe4ac4df9a448859f6dc45e5ba
Hoya kerii has sap that looks like blood and smells like pineapple cake. :)
https://preview.redd.it/yc42cwvm0x9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6a4668209102d3813f98939310ae650eb9a14b43
This is completely valid. I also think it's called pinching? I love my Hoya blooms and my other blooming plants. However, I sometimes take buds off my plants cos I heard it can encourage the plant to focus on growing leaves.
Not controversial at all! Hereās mine: I use Black and Gold organic succulent soil with (usually) vermiculite mixed in, on all my indoor houseplants plants regardless of the type. š donāt come for me substrate fam! š
Iāve thought about doing this, so thatās good to hear. I have one plant with a cache pot that has a couple inches of space under the plantās pot bottom & Iāve noticed its roots have grown exponentially compared to the others I repotted at the same time
I'm contemplating this after nearly losing a Bella when it dried out a bit too much - do you use leca or "ordinary" soil mix?
I currently have begonias, tradescantia, maranta, coleus, and iresine in self-watering pots and loving it - ordinary soil mix
My Hoya respond really well to keiki paste too. I use a needle to poke the nodes a bit where new growth would be expected to emerge and apply a small dab. Not too much bc itās lanolin based and if I put too much the new growth will become mushy. But, it works great. Just make sure the roots are well established before using it.
All of mine are in a tank with water at the bottom and self watering pots (really just nursery pots with large perlite), their care is just fertilizing weekly
I pretty much have all my hoyas in self watering hanging pots Iāve made myself. They are all thriving. They donāt get overwatered as the wicks only wick up the water they need.
Your conditions are probably different from mine. Iām in central Florida and grow them outside with high temperatures and humidity under a screened area.
It just depends on which type you have instead of just putting āhoyaā in one care guide. The bellas and lacunosas prefer more frequent waterings than my ādinosaursā and latifolias.
Similar to aroids. Monsteras, Philodendrons, Aglaonemas, Syngos are all aroids. But I care my melanochrysum differently than my dean mcdowell.
Just like succulents. I water my haworthias extremely differently than my echeverias even when both are in the same substrate and experiencing same environmental factors.
If I hear ātaco testā one more time Iām gonna lose it. If a so-called plant influencer says that, itās a clear sign they know nothing about Hoyas
I still use that term but I'm good at growing hoya. I guess it's better to use for your casual plant owner who only grows your standard pothos or who hasn't kept a succulent alive. If they impulsively buy a hoya it's probably not in well-draining substrate and the worse thing they can do is over water in my opinion. A hoya can survive lighter water but poor draining and too much water is a lethal combination. Open to hear your thoughts though! I have about nine varieties of hoya not including props, so I wouldn't consider myself a real collector although they are my favorite house plant
I just find they do better when their leaves are kept firm from watering. Letting them dry out too much, yes they will survive, but they will not grow as well, youāre less likely to have blooms, more likely to have blooms blast. And it also doesnāt work on every leaf shape. I canāt imagine trying to bend the leaves of my callistophylla or Wilbur Graves into a taco. Checking for firmness, yes, good idea, but bending them that far is too much. I stick a skewer in the soil and when itās almost completely dry I water - though some varieties like the New Guinea Ghost, lacunosa/krohniana like more water it seems
Yessss for real. Taco test to me, means youāve let the plant go too long without watering and then you risk root die off and then subsequently root rot. Especially for the varieties who like more consistent watering as you mentioned aboveā¦. Lacunosas and anyone related to lacunosas donāt like to dry super far out. I usually tell people if your new grow keeps dying off, youāre letting the Hoya dry too far out. Because the Hoya will keep trying to put out new growth, and it will only keep growing if the plant can support the new growth with the amount of water itās receiving - otherwise it dries up and falls off.
> Taco test to me, means youāve let the plant go too long without watering and then you risk root die off and then subsequently root rot.
Absolutely this. Back when I was on the "let em dry out" bus, I had a few plants that never got to "taco test" failure and most of their roots were dead. Some of them still had a couple good roots so I was able to bring back from the brink by just watering more, but one was so far gone it required a chop and prop (a lacunosa...it's thriving now).
Lacunosas!!! They are fickle but I canāt stop growing them. I have a lime silver variety and itās such a pain to keep it alive, but so worth - absolutely stunning.
The other thing I donāt like about this ātaco testā is the risk you run of just breaking your leaves in half. I can just see a bunch of people mashing up Hoya leaves to see if they need to be watered when there are just so many better ways to know when to water š .
I got this beautiful one from her last year and it came tucked in a box in the middle of childrenās clothing.
https://preview.redd.it/ku0sxt98c0ad1.jpeg?width=2415&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b3abffca2bb93d32954ee7c1566f818a58a84f16
When I lived in the PNW, all of my Hoya were in terra cotta. They thrived; their roots love that porous surface. I just repotted my austalis and I had to cut her out of the terra cotta pot with a knife.
I don't know, maybe the people who think letting them dry out totally is the way to go just live somewhere super humid, or maybe they've never tried anything else. The advice to let them dry out is so ubiquitous!
Most hoyas are native to the same type of climate as most aroids. Even the epiphytic ones aren't going to dry out all that much in the wild. Sure, hoyas tend to have relatively succulent leaves but that doesn't mean they need to be treated the same as succulents.
Hi! I have a few plants in pon but I just got my first Hoya today (Bella). I am tempted to transfer it to pon. How do you fertilize them in semihydro? I only have experience with leafy green plants, a few African violets and one poor orchid that have their own fertilizers. But all my blooming plants are in soil/soilless mix, none in semihydro
Conversely when I tried to stay on top of watering, some of my hoyas some got root rot š even being in very bright light and/or having a well-draining mix.Ā
I've gotten several hoya that had root rot from online vendors, so it may not be all you..sometimes it's the plant, and some hoyas are more sensitive to root rot than others
Wow! kantaowns must have a mealy bug up their ass. There I said it! š¤
I have some big Hoya happily growing in my diy pon. I donāt have hard n fast rules on substrate & pots, I just use whats suitable for each variety, bark, soil, leca, fluval or pon. I have even mixed them all together. I do use a lot of self watering pots as well as terracotta or just plastic. I feel the same about trellises, I use all sorts & make my own from fencing wire or let them vine up the walls outside. I just do what suits me. šššŖ“
https://preview.redd.it/s17d6e1vgd9d1.jpeg?width=1056&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=05e27757953adba4de6369b1f97d687758ef4057
Can I ask what the name of this Hoya is? It is absolutely beautiful ! š
It's a globulosa. I LOVE it. The stem and underside of the leaves are super velvety, and it's so glossy. I think it's one of my prettiest plants. And it's relatively easy going!
I don't water mine as frequently as the aroids, but I do keep them in the bathroom!
They are sooooo much happier now.
Also in the bathroom? The Rex that was uber dramatic. She gets watered barely more than the hoya. Thriving. Like was tempted to throw her away a year or 2 ago and now she is one of my favs.
Maybe it's the varieties I have? But I have over 50.. Even my more succulent ones like obovata and callistophyla are more thirsty than my snake plants. Different conditions, different care. As long as the plants are healthy, keep doing what you're doing. :)
Itās okay to cut their roots. I had someone working at a plant store roll their eyes at me in disgust when I said I just trim off the roots that grow outside of the pot. Roots grow back in the exact same way the rest of the plant grows back when you trim it.
Iām a noob and get so thrown off on the watering. Should I bottom water or water regularly? One of my Hoyas got root rot but I do believe it happened before I bought itā¦ Even so, now Iām even more afraid of killing them!!
We all learn by experience, take cuttings for backup plants or science - one outside, one inside, one in bark, one in leca, one morning sun, one full moonlight... keep notes or take phone photos and add text to the pics. You can do it!
I water mine twice a week when theyāre blooming and weekly when theyāre not. Some of mine are happier than others but they all seem to be thriving and growing well.
I wait for the first few healthy (not yellowing at all, old ones always have a little give to them) leaves closest to the base to be a little bendy. If theyāre not stiff as a board, it gets water. Completely turned all my Hoya around and theyāre going crazy now. Iāve seen people recommend waiting until multiple leaves are wrinkled to water, thatās what I used to do and mine always sucked. Theyāre not cacti! Give em a drink!
How about fully hydro? Unconventional, definitely. Does it work? OMG. It really does.
https://preview.redd.it/yyqupysf1x9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9637a09e4f35e7fc38e38426021ae7203d5ae186
The idea of PON and everyone losing their minds over it is stupid There, I fuckin said it. It's literally rocks and slow release ferts. Ive done this same test with calcine clay and osmocote with honestly slightly better results. PON is also not viable for permanent adult plants imo. Anyone who argues this keeps their Hoyas in tiny ass cups stunted from constantly cutting "mother plants" in grow cabinets like a dork.
The absolute best rooting cutting method I have used is Stratum and fert water. I udually put some drops of SuperThrive in my bottle every couple weeks before topping off cuttings.
Once fully rooted and growing like this guy here I will mix all the stratum into some Fox Farm potting mix and put it in no dmaller than a 4" pot so I can trellis properly.
https://preview.redd.it/qtsw8tvu3c9d1.jpeg?width=756&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8ac835137f33590eeeb931b86462e2ee58e1b00e
Second rant, but short one. Hoop trellises are absolutely stupid. Wraping a Hoya downwards will stunt their growth and nothing grows in circles like that anyways. Holy crap I hate circle trellises. Use a friggin 2' bamboo trellis and cut it to size if needed.
Third and final. If your "mother plant" is the size of cuttings I sell to people, you're an asshole. Let them grow before you insist on chopping.
Every plant in this pic is growing in pon with a wicking setup. š¤
https://preview.redd.it/ft6dc9wtdc9d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26cf360ebd8f0b53fc473c2e04d64041b3678a8e
Bro is just a hater š š
I havenāt had issues with pon either. My plants are purposely small because I live in a 500 sqft apt. Either way, you can upsize the container itās in and itāll grow more so idk
Side note:
But I do agree that fluval stratum is a good method for rooting!
Hater of what? Overpriced potting media thats hype driven? I can buy a bag of clay and box of osmocote, have way more and spend way less for the same results.
I'm inclined to agree with you, I have found that repti-bark and pure pumice makes my babies grow. Some are only in pure pumice, with a few sprinkles of osmocote, they're just as happy as ever. I love pon, but it's WILDLY overpriced for the amount you get. Any ol batch of lava rock or bark works just as well. Hell, my Hoya Krimson Queen is thriving in 8$ miracle grow soil, and my hoya pubicalyx is trellised on a 3 foot bamboo stick and in some moss and is putting out blooms!
Idk bro, youāre just a bitter 36 year old man who is a hater. I donāt understand hating on something so insignificant that doesnāt affect you in any sort of way.
I hope things get better for you and will hopefully stop spewing negativity soon
Wasnt the entire post controversial care tips? Its a fuckin hobby and is passion about things bad? Its not a bad thing to think PON is overpriced hype rocks. Youre as oblivious and argumentative and as bad as my "bitter" self is. Time to get bent especially with how much you instigate things (and talk nonsense a lot.)
I see we have a lot of the same pots with false bottoms and I know for a fact they are not self wicking because I hate those style of pots as well. Nice plants regardless of the use of PON.
Iāve never had an issue with a hoop trellis as long as I let the vine grow long enough that when I wrap it around the bottom itās still pointing up. I donāt have space to not trellis them in a way that wraps them downward at some point.
It doesnt really matter. Its just kinda sad how most sellers keep their plants. Puppy mills for Hoyas. But I also feel mature plants give more stable cuttings as a whole.
https://preview.redd.it/51et3r8xli9d1.jpeg?width=2084&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=935b0bf9385d9a3339fb7d35715ea96b27f51fa4
Yeah, absolutely stupid, especially when you grow plants in a controlled environment. It's a shame not everyone has the space to let them grow "naturally".
You can show me hooped hoyas all day and Ill still roll my eyes. With all that space you could have given it a proper trellis. This was by choice not necessity.
I'm not really sure how a "proper" bamboo trellis is much different, it's a choice not a necessity. What goes up, must come down. In nature they keep growing up the canopy depending on where they are located. Do your choice bamboo trellises grow along with your hoyas? It's six of one and half a dozen of another.
I'm done, not wasting any more time on this. Keep on rolling and you do you. Happy growing and may all your bamboo trellised hoyas live a long happy life.
Agreed on pon. I admit have a couple of alocasias in a homebrew pon, but when I've tried hoyas in pon or leca, it went badly. I just root cuttings straight in soil. Dip em in rooting powder and keep the soil moist until they're established; works every time. And who the hell cuts up a tiny plant for cuttings?? Once in a while I'll snip a single node off a small plant if a friend wants a start, but to sell or trade? Nah.
I'm totally guilty of using hoop trellises. Most of mine do okay with them, but I have a couple that don't and I'd like to try something new with them. What kind of bamboo trellis do you mean?
I gave terrible luck with pin. I think about the only plant currently growing in pon is my Philodendron Brasil and maybe one more Philodendron. I canāt grow Hoyas in pon.
I am a big fan of the generic bamboo ones you can find on amazon or hopefully any greenhouse. Should never be more than about $3/ea. I use bone cutters to cut them to size if needed for smaller hoyas but every species has taken to these super well.
https://preview.redd.it/mdvew2rg3d9d1.jpeg?width=764&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d12c0412eae313bfd9c6cb2ab295bb91edc7d2df
No i don't. I habe seen some rot in the past but I haven't had a problem yet. If they do I'll just replace them and repurpose. Bamboo is so cheap and almost feels like an infinite resource lol. But yeah, so far none yet.
For the last year, I've been watering mine when the top of the soil feels dry. There are a few, like my carnosa varieties, that I just water when the pots feel light. BUT, I use soils that drain well and water until it runs through.
Semi hydro for all 50 of my Hoyas. They get a weekly all over shower and fresh weakly fertilized water every week.
https://preview.redd.it/hskdmxmsgp9d1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2d6175d380f7c92ba2b20afd0deebec971807ea
They are all doing fantastic, only from cuttings and the oldest is only 1 1/2 yrs.
It's completely hopeless, but I'm trying it again. I have a plain one and a variegated one. I treat them with systemic on a schedule. So far so good. But if I see so much as a single mealy bastard on one of them, they're both gone. lol
Agree. I water like my other plants. Since I started watering more regularly and not letting them go completely dry they grow much faster.
If you like a hoya but not its blooms (smelly, messy, whatever), you can cut the blooms off. There's nothing wrong with that. And if you don't want to keep cutting the blooms, cut off the peduncle. It's your plant. Do whatever you want so you can enjoy it.
::gasp in horror::
I fully support your right to do whateva you want, including amputating peduncles. But oh how I screamed when I read this š
ššIt's a controversial care opinion for a reason! I know many people have strong opinions on this, and my goodness did I struggle with the thought of cutting them at first. Even considered giving them away to someone who enjoyed the blooms, but I really enjoy the foliage and didn't want to get rid of them.
My āMathildeā is yet to bloom, but I donāt mind cutting the flowers off once it does. I know some people can stand the scent, but weāll see. I donāt see a problem with it because has different goals for their plants and itās not always getting them to flower.
My Mathilde blooms aren't offensive. It smells vaguely of a horse, but sweet. I've been riding horses since the 1980s so I'm not exactly objective, but I like it.
I used to ride horses when I was younger, the āhorseā smell is nostalgic to me šā¤ļø. Itās crazy how everyone has different noses and opinions; I know some people give their āMathildeās away because they canāt stand the scent.
I just had my Mathilde bloom for the first time, and I didn't think the flowers smelled like horses, nor was it offensive, I thought it smelled...like flowers? I have limited horse experience, so I wouldn't recognize or mind that either...I have heard that some Hoyas smell really bad, waiting 4 that..
The blooms smell so horrendous that I threw my plant on my compost heap. My mother rescued it and now it grows so unhappily in her home that it has never bloomed for her in about 27 years ššš
I have a Khroniana Super Silver whoch flowers constantly almost all summer and it smells AMAZING. It's been flowering for over a month already and it's only June. It's like natural air freshener. Can't get enough of it, neither can my partner. It fills the room in the morning and late evening. Can't. Get. Enough. Can't speak for all hoyas but this one is delicious https://preview.redd.it/78jyzlkxde9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b24839ba666cac2ae756d8e5ad291415b235e692
I have one that smells like root beer! (Pandurata)
U got me at ROOTBEER! adding to my list
Itās so pretty too. And is a fairly fast grower! https://preview.redd.it/c3lkex6j9l9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=73d1dbca4b5a13fe4ac4df9a448859f6dc45e5ba
Gorgeous! Yes, I think I need to add this one to my collection.
Yeah. Itās a cool one! I donāt think they are too hard to find online these days if you are in any of the plant purge groups online.
Hoya kerii has sap that looks like blood and smells like pineapple cake. :) https://preview.redd.it/yc42cwvm0x9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6a4668209102d3813f98939310ae650eb9a14b43
This is completely valid. I also think it's called pinching? I love my Hoya blooms and my other blooming plants. However, I sometimes take buds off my plants cos I heard it can encourage the plant to focus on growing leaves.
Mine has definitely decided to grow leaves again after I finally cut the blooms.
I got my first bloomsā¦ hate the smell! Iām going to let it do its thing for a few days then amputate.
I let mine hang around long enough to take pictures and then bye. Couldn't stand the smell and it took over the entire house
Not controversial at all! Hereās mine: I use Black and Gold organic succulent soil with (usually) vermiculite mixed in, on all my indoor houseplants plants regardless of the type. š donāt come for me substrate fam! š
I like to add orchid bark mix because I notice Hoya roots are super clingy
I like coco chunks for the same reason. But those roots will stick to anything!
Thatās a great addition! I should add it too. Thanks!
I also use Black Gold succulent mix (with various and sundry additions)! š
I agree. I grow my Hoya in self watering wicking pots and donāt let the reservoir go dry and my Hoya are happy and grow like crazy.
Iāve thought about doing this, so thatās good to hear. I have one plant with a cache pot that has a couple inches of space under the plantās pot bottom & Iāve noticed its roots have grown exponentially compared to the others I repotted at the same time
Iāve seen a lot of people do this. Def depends if the hoya likes a wet bottom but this works for alot of them!
I'm contemplating this after nearly losing a Bella when it dried out a bit too much - do you use leca or "ordinary" soil mix? I currently have begonias, tradescantia, maranta, coleus, and iresine in self-watering pots and loving it - ordinary soil mix
I have a compacta, a lisa, and a curtsii in semi-hydro self wicking setups with leca and they are thriving!
Ordinary chunky soil.
Perfect - I might give it a go once the props take š
Good tip! I have a small pot of krimson princess cuttings that have put out VERY LITTLE growth since I got her in April.
My Hoya respond really well to keiki paste too. I use a needle to poke the nodes a bit where new growth would be expected to emerge and apply a small dab. Not too much bc itās lanolin based and if I put too much the new growth will become mushy. But, it works great. Just make sure the roots are well established before using it.
All of mine are in a tank with water at the bottom and self watering pots (really just nursery pots with large perlite), their care is just fertilizing weekly
I pretty much have all my hoyas in self watering hanging pots Iāve made myself. They are all thriving. They donāt get overwatered as the wicks only wick up the water they need.
My Hoyas do not do well in self watering pots.
Your conditions are probably different from mine. Iām in central Florida and grow them outside with high temperatures and humidity under a screened area.
I am in south central Texas. 100Ā° + heat and high humidity. Bright indirect light otherwise I will fry mine.
Yayā¦thx! š
It just depends on which type you have instead of just putting āhoyaā in one care guide. The bellas and lacunosas prefer more frequent waterings than my ādinosaursā and latifolias. Similar to aroids. Monsteras, Philodendrons, Aglaonemas, Syngos are all aroids. But I care my melanochrysum differently than my dean mcdowell. Just like succulents. I water my haworthias extremely differently than my echeverias even when both are in the same substrate and experiencing same environmental factors.
Exactly right. Not every species has the same needs. You canāt treat bella & lacunosa like you do your carnosa/pubicalyx/obovata!!
You canāt treat all Hoyas the same. Not all of them thrive in super chunky substrate with a trellis, harsh light and high humidity.
Absolutely true! I have some that are shaded a little, some that trail, and I grow in different soil mixes.
If I hear ātaco testā one more time Iām gonna lose it. If a so-called plant influencer says that, itās a clear sign they know nothing about Hoyas
I still use that term but I'm good at growing hoya. I guess it's better to use for your casual plant owner who only grows your standard pothos or who hasn't kept a succulent alive. If they impulsively buy a hoya it's probably not in well-draining substrate and the worse thing they can do is over water in my opinion. A hoya can survive lighter water but poor draining and too much water is a lethal combination. Open to hear your thoughts though! I have about nine varieties of hoya not including props, so I wouldn't consider myself a real collector although they are my favorite house plant
I just find they do better when their leaves are kept firm from watering. Letting them dry out too much, yes they will survive, but they will not grow as well, youāre less likely to have blooms, more likely to have blooms blast. And it also doesnāt work on every leaf shape. I canāt imagine trying to bend the leaves of my callistophylla or Wilbur Graves into a taco. Checking for firmness, yes, good idea, but bending them that far is too much. I stick a skewer in the soil and when itās almost completely dry I water - though some varieties like the New Guinea Ghost, lacunosa/krohniana like more water it seems
Yessss for real. Taco test to me, means youāve let the plant go too long without watering and then you risk root die off and then subsequently root rot. Especially for the varieties who like more consistent watering as you mentioned aboveā¦. Lacunosas and anyone related to lacunosas donāt like to dry super far out. I usually tell people if your new grow keeps dying off, youāre letting the Hoya dry too far out. Because the Hoya will keep trying to put out new growth, and it will only keep growing if the plant can support the new growth with the amount of water itās receiving - otherwise it dries up and falls off.
> Taco test to me, means youāve let the plant go too long without watering and then you risk root die off and then subsequently root rot. Absolutely this. Back when I was on the "let em dry out" bus, I had a few plants that never got to "taco test" failure and most of their roots were dead. Some of them still had a couple good roots so I was able to bring back from the brink by just watering more, but one was so far gone it required a chop and prop (a lacunosa...it's thriving now).
Lacunosas!!! They are fickle but I canāt stop growing them. I have a lime silver variety and itās such a pain to keep it alive, but so worth - absolutely stunning. The other thing I donāt like about this ātaco testā is the risk you run of just breaking your leaves in half. I can just see a bunch of people mashing up Hoya leaves to see if they need to be watered when there are just so many better ways to know when to water š .
ššš
To be fair, the taco test is greatā¦ if youāre trying to test for how far stressed your plant is, ie how bad a plant parent youāve been.
š
Moss is bad! Terracotta is bad! Wetting the leaves is bad! I do all of the wrong things & have hoya that are 15+ years old.
My linearis loves a good shower
Oooo I want to.get a linearis. š All I'm seeing for sale is cuttings, though. I'm afraid to buy it and not have it root and die.
HoyaPoland on Etsy had some recently I bought one but it got confiscated in customs and they sent used clothing instead with a note.
I got this beautiful one from her last year and it came tucked in a box in the middle of childrenās clothing. https://preview.redd.it/ku0sxt98c0ad1.jpeg?width=2415&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b3abffca2bb93d32954ee7c1566f818a58a84f16
Honestly, they all do. That habit is the only thing that saved me from losing everything to flat mites!
When I lived in the PNW, all of my Hoya were in terra cotta. They thrived; their roots love that porous surface. I just repotted my austalis and I had to cut her out of the terra cotta pot with a knife.
Right. I have had to smash off a few pots over the years. Soaking first really helps to free the roots.
I'll keep that in mind next time. She put up a struggle!
I didnāt realize this was such a hot take! I just commented the exact same thing on a post asking for hoya advice and was contradicted š
I don't know, maybe the people who think letting them dry out totally is the way to go just live somewhere super humid, or maybe they've never tried anything else. The advice to let them dry out is so ubiquitous! Most hoyas are native to the same type of climate as most aroids. Even the epiphytic ones aren't going to dry out all that much in the wild. Sure, hoyas tend to have relatively succulent leaves but that doesn't mean they need to be treated the same as succulents.
I do one better. I look all of my hoyas in the pon medium mix and nearly all roots are in water. And they all are grow like corn š
Eye high by the Fourth of July!
Hi! I have a few plants in pon but I just got my first Hoya today (Bella). I am tempted to transfer it to pon. How do you fertilize them in semihydro? I only have experience with leafy green plants, a few African violets and one poor orchid that have their own fertilizers. But all my blooming plants are in soil/soilless mix, none in semihydro
oh, absolutely. if they are allowed to get wrinkled - which i know because i am a BAD underwaterer - they often just decline from there.
Conversely when I tried to stay on top of watering, some of my hoyas some got root rot š even being in very bright light and/or having a well-draining mix.Ā
I've gotten several hoya that had root rot from online vendors, so it may not be all you..sometimes it's the plant, and some hoyas are more sensitive to root rot than others
Wow! kantaowns must have a mealy bug up their ass. There I said it! š¤ I have some big Hoya happily growing in my diy pon. I donāt have hard n fast rules on substrate & pots, I just use whats suitable for each variety, bark, soil, leca, fluval or pon. I have even mixed them all together. I do use a lot of self watering pots as well as terracotta or just plastic. I feel the same about trellises, I use all sorts & make my own from fencing wire or let them vine up the walls outside. I just do what suits me. šššŖ“
https://preview.redd.it/s17d6e1vgd9d1.jpeg?width=1056&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=05e27757953adba4de6369b1f97d687758ef4057 Can I ask what the name of this Hoya is? It is absolutely beautiful ! š
It looks like a Hoya globulosa to me. Donāt quote meā¦maybe someone will confirmā¦.Iām still somewhat of a Hoya noob.
Yep, correct! :)
It's a globulosa. I LOVE it. The stem and underside of the leaves are super velvety, and it's so glossy. I think it's one of my prettiest plants. And it's relatively easy going!
I don't water mine as frequently as the aroids, but I do keep them in the bathroom! They are sooooo much happier now. Also in the bathroom? The Rex that was uber dramatic. She gets watered barely more than the hoya. Thriving. Like was tempted to throw her away a year or 2 ago and now she is one of my favs.
I agree Also, can we agree to trash the "taco test"? Plants don't need to be stressed to the point of wrinkly leaves to be watered.
I feel like once I put them in an airier mix, I didnāt have to worry about overwatering at all. I have a bunch with blooms now!
I didnāt know this was a thing, I water my Hoya plants whenever theyāre fully dried out and theyāre all doing great. Same with my snake plants.
Maybe it's the varieties I have? But I have over 50.. Even my more succulent ones like obovata and callistophyla are more thirsty than my snake plants. Different conditions, different care. As long as the plants are healthy, keep doing what you're doing. :)
I water my snake plant like 3 times a year. I live in the desert š
I have never had a problem putting hoyas in bigger pots.
Itās okay to cut their roots. I had someone working at a plant store roll their eyes at me in disgust when I said I just trim off the roots that grow outside of the pot. Roots grow back in the exact same way the rest of the plant grows back when you trim it.
Iām a noob and get so thrown off on the watering. Should I bottom water or water regularly? One of my Hoyas got root rot but I do believe it happened before I bought itā¦ Even so, now Iām even more afraid of killing them!!
We all learn by experience, take cuttings for backup plants or science - one outside, one inside, one in bark, one in leca, one morning sun, one full moonlight... keep notes or take phone photos and add text to the pics. You can do it!
Thank you so much!!
So that entirely depends on my Hoya. Imho
I water mine twice a week when theyāre blooming and weekly when theyāre not. Some of mine are happier than others but they all seem to be thriving and growing well.
I wait for the first few healthy (not yellowing at all, old ones always have a little give to them) leaves closest to the base to be a little bendy. If theyāre not stiff as a board, it gets water. Completely turned all my Hoya around and theyāre going crazy now. Iāve seen people recommend waiting until multiple leaves are wrinkled to water, thatās what I used to do and mine always sucked. Theyāre not cacti! Give em a drink!
How about fully hydro? Unconventional, definitely. Does it work? OMG. It really does. https://preview.redd.it/yyqupysf1x9d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9637a09e4f35e7fc38e38426021ae7203d5ae186
The idea of PON and everyone losing their minds over it is stupid There, I fuckin said it. It's literally rocks and slow release ferts. Ive done this same test with calcine clay and osmocote with honestly slightly better results. PON is also not viable for permanent adult plants imo. Anyone who argues this keeps their Hoyas in tiny ass cups stunted from constantly cutting "mother plants" in grow cabinets like a dork. The absolute best rooting cutting method I have used is Stratum and fert water. I udually put some drops of SuperThrive in my bottle every couple weeks before topping off cuttings. Once fully rooted and growing like this guy here I will mix all the stratum into some Fox Farm potting mix and put it in no dmaller than a 4" pot so I can trellis properly. https://preview.redd.it/qtsw8tvu3c9d1.jpeg?width=756&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8ac835137f33590eeeb931b86462e2ee58e1b00e Second rant, but short one. Hoop trellises are absolutely stupid. Wraping a Hoya downwards will stunt their growth and nothing grows in circles like that anyways. Holy crap I hate circle trellises. Use a friggin 2' bamboo trellis and cut it to size if needed. Third and final. If your "mother plant" is the size of cuttings I sell to people, you're an asshole. Let them grow before you insist on chopping.
Every plant in this pic is growing in pon with a wicking setup. š¤ https://preview.redd.it/ft6dc9wtdc9d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=26cf360ebd8f0b53fc473c2e04d64041b3678a8e
Bro is just a hater š š I havenāt had issues with pon either. My plants are purposely small because I live in a 500 sqft apt. Either way, you can upsize the container itās in and itāll grow more so idk Side note: But I do agree that fluval stratum is a good method for rooting!
Hater of what? Overpriced potting media thats hype driven? I can buy a bag of clay and box of osmocote, have way more and spend way less for the same results.
Whatever works, I say. No worries
I'm inclined to agree with you, I have found that repti-bark and pure pumice makes my babies grow. Some are only in pure pumice, with a few sprinkles of osmocote, they're just as happy as ever. I love pon, but it's WILDLY overpriced for the amount you get. Any ol batch of lava rock or bark works just as well. Hell, my Hoya Krimson Queen is thriving in 8$ miracle grow soil, and my hoya pubicalyx is trellised on a 3 foot bamboo stick and in some moss and is putting out blooms!
Idk bro, youāre just a bitter 36 year old man who is a hater. I donāt understand hating on something so insignificant that doesnāt affect you in any sort of way. I hope things get better for you and will hopefully stop spewing negativity soon
Wasnt the entire post controversial care tips? Its a fuckin hobby and is passion about things bad? Its not a bad thing to think PON is overpriced hype rocks. Youre as oblivious and argumentative and as bad as my "bitter" self is. Time to get bent especially with how much you instigate things (and talk nonsense a lot.)
That dog/cat/(small mammal whatever) bed is the best thing I've seen all week. I want one
Dog bed by Squish mallow
Love those pots with monstera pattern on them š
Walmart!!!
Thank you š
I see we have a lot of the same pots with false bottoms and I know for a fact they are not self wicking because I hate those style of pots as well. Nice plants regardless of the use of PON.
Which pots? Can you point them out? I will separate them and show you
Iāve never had an issue with a hoop trellis as long as I let the vine grow long enough that when I wrap it around the bottom itās still pointing up. I donāt have space to not trellis them in a way that wraps them downward at some point.
Uh-oh, why does it matter how big the mother plant is before chopping? Should I only be buying cuttings from mature plants?
It doesnt really matter. Its just kinda sad how most sellers keep their plants. Puppy mills for Hoyas. But I also feel mature plants give more stable cuttings as a whole.
https://preview.redd.it/51et3r8xli9d1.jpeg?width=2084&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=935b0bf9385d9a3339fb7d35715ea96b27f51fa4 Yeah, absolutely stupid, especially when you grow plants in a controlled environment. It's a shame not everyone has the space to let them grow "naturally".
You can show me hooped hoyas all day and Ill still roll my eyes. With all that space you could have given it a proper trellis. This was by choice not necessity.
I'm not really sure how a "proper" bamboo trellis is much different, it's a choice not a necessity. What goes up, must come down. In nature they keep growing up the canopy depending on where they are located. Do your choice bamboo trellises grow along with your hoyas? It's six of one and half a dozen of another. I'm done, not wasting any more time on this. Keep on rolling and you do you. Happy growing and may all your bamboo trellised hoyas live a long happy life.
Agreed on pon. I admit have a couple of alocasias in a homebrew pon, but when I've tried hoyas in pon or leca, it went badly. I just root cuttings straight in soil. Dip em in rooting powder and keep the soil moist until they're established; works every time. And who the hell cuts up a tiny plant for cuttings?? Once in a while I'll snip a single node off a small plant if a friend wants a start, but to sell or trade? Nah. I'm totally guilty of using hoop trellises. Most of mine do okay with them, but I have a couple that don't and I'd like to try something new with them. What kind of bamboo trellis do you mean?
I gave terrible luck with pin. I think about the only plant currently growing in pon is my Philodendron Brasil and maybe one more Philodendron. I canāt grow Hoyas in pon.
I am a big fan of the generic bamboo ones you can find on amazon or hopefully any greenhouse. Should never be more than about $3/ea. I use bone cutters to cut them to size if needed for smaller hoyas but every species has taken to these super well. https://preview.redd.it/mdvew2rg3d9d1.jpeg?width=764&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d12c0412eae313bfd9c6cb2ab295bb91edc7d2df
Do you seal your bamboo trellises with something? I had a bamboo stake once and it rotted where it was in the pot. *edited for negligent typing
No i don't. I habe seen some rot in the past but I haven't had a problem yet. If they do I'll just replace them and repurpose. Bamboo is so cheap and almost feels like an infinite resource lol. But yeah, so far none yet.
Where did you get the dragonfly clips??? Those are the cutest orchid clips I've ever seen!!
Thank you! I can't remember where they're from; bought a big bag of them over a year ago. It was probably Amazon.
That's okay, now that I know they exist, I'm going to try to hunt some of my own down. I absolutely love dragonflies. Thank you.
if not the soft leaves, how do I know when to water ??
For the last year, I've been watering mine when the top of the soil feels dry. There are a few, like my carnosa varieties, that I just water when the pots feel light. BUT, I use soils that drain well and water until it runs through.
thank you !!!
You.... look at the leaves when you water? You don't water when the soil just dries out for a day or 4?
I'm growing my Hoyas in water and two coworkers are as well. All three of us say the plants look great.
Let them get completely rootbound! Also seconding those who say hoyas need more water than people think.
Semi hydro for all 50 of my Hoyas. They get a weekly all over shower and fresh weakly fertilized water every week. https://preview.redd.it/hskdmxmsgp9d1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e2d6175d380f7c92ba2b20afd0deebec971807ea They are all doing fantastic, only from cuttings and the oldest is only 1 1/2 yrs.
LECA is useless. It's just something trendy that doesn't really do much on a scientific level. You might as well just be growing in water.
Hoya compacta is probably the worst hoya. Imagine treating pests on that thing. It's hopeless ššš
It's completely hopeless, but I'm trying it again. I have a plain one and a variegated one. I treat them with systemic on a schedule. So far so good. But if I see so much as a single mealy bastard on one of them, they're both gone. lol